Over Rs 7 lakh recovered in Agra illegal tree felling case, UP govt tells NGT

Agra: The Uttar Pradesh govt has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that it has recovered Rs 2.60 lakh as compounding fee and Rs 4.74 lakh towards compensatory afforestation in a case involving illegal tree felling in Agra.The matter, registered in 2025, was heard on Tuesday by a bench comprising Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member Ishwar Singh. A copy of the order was issued on Wednesday.The proceedings stem from a letter petition dated June 1, 2025, alleging that more than 100 green trees were illegally cut between July 2023 and June 2024 at Hazuri Bagh in Dayalbagh, Agra. The site falls within the environmentally sensitive Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ).In compliance with the tribunal's directions, the divisional director of the social forestry division, Agra, submitted a fact-finding report confirming that 26 trees had been illegally felled. Action was initiated under sections 4 and 10 of the Uttar Pradesh Protection of Trees Act, 1976.According to the report, a compounding fee of Rs 2.60 lakh -- calculated at Rs 10,000 per tree -- was deposited in line with Supreme Court directions. Additionally, Rs 4.74 lakh was deposited for compensatory afforestation. The timber recovered from the site has been seized by authorities.The forest department has proposed planting 260 saplings as part of the compensatory afforestation plan. Tree numbering has also been carried out in the area to deter future illegal felling.The NGT directed the divisional director, social forestry division, Agra, to carry out compensatory afforestation during the upcoming monsoon season and ensure geo-tagging of the planted saplings.The Taj Trapezium Zone, spanning around 10,400 sq km around the Taj Mahal, was established to safeguard the 16th-century monument from pollution. It covers districts including Agra, Mathura, Firozabad, Hathras and Etah in Uttar Pradesh, as well as Bharatpur in Rajasthan and parts of Aligarh and Dholpur.